


Three time's the charm

by Shirohime



Category: The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:01:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27236182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shirohime/pseuds/Shirohime
Summary: There might be one thing Magnus still keeps a secret. Alec is hellbound on finding out.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 4
Kudos: 67





	Three time's the charm

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a 5+1 but it's too late for my brain to work properly so I aborted mission and changed it halfway.  
> Anyways. I imagine this to be barely AU. The only different thing being that everyone is magically happy and never really stressed and everyone can shift into an animal. It's something they are born with and shows their true character most of the time. It's nothing substantially thought through, just invented for the sake of crack, tbh

It all starts, as many things do, during a thunderstorm.

There's thunder rumbling outside and heavy rain pelting the windows of Magnus' loft, glittering brightly whenever the occasional lightning splits the sky.

They've been having these storms often in the past few weeks and Magnus is starting to believe they are an expression of displeasure by whoever is up there - whoever is above the angels if there is one above them at all.

Huffing at the weather he returns to fixing himself a hot cup of tea - Catarina having helped him get his hands on some exclusive loose-leaf tea that he's been hearing about a lot recently - and chooses to listen to the low sound of classical music instead of the storm outside.

Keeping his attention divided perfectly between the music and not pouring hot water over his fingers is an act more taxing now than it used to be, mostly because he never did get the hang of those new tea kettles. The things he does for Alexander.

Lips tilting up at the memory of his boyfriend, Magnus puts the kettle away and carefully dances from the kitchen to the living room, the steam of the mug in his hands trailing behind him the same way his magic would - which, dancing with magic is a whole different story.

All of these things; the steaming tea mug, the dancing, the music, the storm outside, completely take over Magnus' attention.

Which is why he lets out a very unmagnus-y shriek when his eyes slip from the mug in his hands and find a massive panther dripping water all over his expensive carpet.

The beast is easily the height of Magnus' hip. It's a masterpiece of coiled muscles and shining black fur, spots barely noticeable on its legs.

Pale as a ghost Magnus stops dead in his tracks, frozen to the spot.

The panther shakes out its fur - Magnus would shriek again, in outrage this time, if anyone human would've done the same - then lifts its piercing blue eyes.

A chuff falls off the beasts lips, then it moves toward the warlock with silent paws the size of a both of Magnus' hands next to each other.

"Oh bloody no!"

With that, Magnus parkours behind the couch, splashing tea everywhere. Yet his mind is feverishly trying to work out how in the world a panther of all living beings could get into his loft. It's not like the time in Rio back in the day where he'd been expecting such guests and lived basically in a tree (a tree house, to be exact, but who is Magnus to be splitting hairs over something from hundreds of years ago).

He's so busy internally panicking and trying to find a way to remove this beast from his home without having to harm it (if nothing else, he is an animal lover and has been for ever), that he doesn't notice the panther stopping abruptly.

When Magnus does sneak a look at the beast again, it is to see the large cat look down at its own paws for a good ten seconds.

Then there's a bright flash of light and on the carpet, still dripping lazy drops of water onto the floor, stands Alexander Lightwood in all his naked glory.

1\. 

Alec is still howling with laughter when Magnus retells the story a few days later to Isabelle - with some tweaks to keep his dignity intact of course. As much as that's possible. 

Magnus stares at his boyfriend with dark eyes. It pulls something inside him, to watch Alec act so free, something that fills his entire heart with joy and affection. But still. 

"I thought you were an owl! Or... Literally any other bird!"

Alec tries to reign in his laughter. "You dove behind the couch! You're the High Warlock, you could've fried me with a twitch of your little finger, Mags", he snorts. 

Magnus just twists his lips down and pulls a big pouting expression at Alec. 

Isabelle, barely managing to not laugh herself, shuffles forward until she's sitting on the edge of said heroic couch. "What is your animal, anyway?", she asks, "A peacock?" 

Magnus gasps in offense and holds up one finger. "I may be arrogant but I do have class, Isabelle Lightwood. I would not, under any circumstances, be something as flitteringly unimpressive as a peacock." 

Alec, still grinning but no longer laughing at his boyfriend's expense, wraps his arms around Magnus' waist where he's sitting on Alec's lap.

" You never told me either. I'm curious", the older Lightwood admits and hooks his chin over Magnus' shoulder.

The warlock tenses, eyes darting away. He pushes off of Alec and starts walking away. "I do not see how that is of any importance", he answers in a voice even more toneless and cold than when he'd first started talking to Jace.

Alec physically flinches, eyes filled with confusion, as Magnus retreats into his bedroom and slams the door shut.

2.

Ever since 'the incident' Alec has sworn to himself he'd get Magnus to show him his animal form.  
Especially since every time he's tried bringing it up the warlock locks him out and makes him sleep on the couch.

It's not that Alec is truly worried. If he were than he wouldn't be pushing Magnus' buttons that much.  
No, Alec knows for a fact that, if Magnus truly did not want that topic to ever be brought up again, he'd find a way.  
But alas, it's almost too easy to get starters for the loaded question from the warlock.  
Which is exactly why, instead of sitting down with his boyfriend and trying to talk him out of whatever it is he's feeling so bad about, Alec uses his mind to form plans over plans on how to get his beloved to spill the beans.

He figures it might be something Magnus finds himself to be above, sometimes the animal is about the opposite of what one expects it to be.

So he ropes in Jace and threatens his parabatai with Isabelle's cooking to appear on Magnus' doorstep.

With a small grin of satisfaction, Alec has Jace enter into the living room then sits him down to go get Magnus.

"Mags? Can you come into the living room for a second?", Alec requests politely, seeing Magnus work on some potion.  
The warlock nods absent-mindedly, raining blue magic over the boiling potion with a flourish of his hands. "Give me a minute? I'll be out with you as soon as this is stable."

"Sure. Thanks." Alec taps the doorframe once with his fingers, then pushes off and goes back to wait with Jace.

When Magnus steps into sight, his eyes immediately narrow.   
Warily he flicks his gaze between the parabatai in front of him.   
"Alec? Care to explain? I am not going to hug it out with your brother as much as I love you, darling."   
There's something guarded in his voice, but Alec chooses to ignore it, gifting Magnus a soothing smile.   
"So. Since you won't tell me what your animal is, I thought I'd show you what Jace's is" - Magnus' expression shuts off at that but Alec pushes on - "Jace. Show him."   
There's a hard scowl from Jace, who undresses to his boxers quickly and efficiently before glaring at Alec. "You so owe me for this", he grumbles and shifts. 

Magnus blinks once, twice. In Jace's spot sits a rather large dog. A golden retriever with neatly brushed and trimmed fur and eyes just a shade too bright to be mistaken for a common pet.   
The dog sneezes once and licks his snout, then Jace shifts back and puts his clothes back on.   
"There. Happy? Now I'll see myself out and wish you two good luck with whatever the fuck is going on right now", he exclaims and nearly bolts out the front door. 

Alec is sitting on the couch with a huge confident smile on his face, sure he'd have succeeded - there's nothing as harmless as a golden retriever and nothing more ironic than Jace being one of all people - until he sees Magnus' face and his smile falters. 

There's an endless stream of emotions flickering over the warlocks eyes but none of them seem to be relief. None of them break that rigid posture Magnus has frozen into and when Alec steps closer, an inquiry on his tongue, Magnus stumbles back without a word and disappears into his room. Alec hears the telltale sound of a key turning in a lock and sucks in a breath he hadn't known he needed.   
Something like genuine worry awakes in his chest, right beneath his heart where everything Magnus is stored away like treasure. 

  
3.

After the complete disaster of Alec's last plan, he's become more careful.   
For a while he completely skipped the entire topic, noticing the tense set of his boyfriend's shoulders whenever Magnus came home.   
Now that Magnus seems relaxed again, though less carefree as Alec knows he can be, Alec mulls over a new plan in his head. 

Though, admittedly, he dislikes watching Magnus be so hurt whenever Alec makes even the smallest remark, the raven-haired young man just cannot get the feeling off his chest that Magnus DOES want to share this with him, just doesn't know how to. 

So Alec does what he would have never dared to do earlier in their relationship. He stops shifting into his human form.   
If it is Magnus being uncomfortable with shifting, then maybe he'll warm up to it when he sees how little Alec cares for deciding between either form.   
He only shifts back to go to the institute and do his share of the duty all of them carry. 

At first Magnus is frozen whenever Alec in his panther form so much as shifts a single muscle.   
Even with his more primal senses, it pains Alec to have Magnus be afraid of him. He would never hurt Magnus. Not in any form of being. Not if he was a zombie starving for brain. (Clary and Simon had guilt tripped him into watching some 'classic' horror movies. Alec had not liked any of them). 

He makes a point of being non-threatening, lounging on the couch curled up in a big ball, or sprawled out with his belly vulnerable and open. He even rumbles contently when Magnus dares sit on the far opposite of the room.   
To his surprise, it bothers him much more in this form to not be able to cuddle or curl up with his boyfriend than it ever does when he is in his human form and after a few days he cannot hold back any longer.   
When he comes home and finds Magnus sitting in front of a crackling fire, all cozied up in blankets, Alec doesn't shift and gently slides next to the love of his life. 

Magnus sends him a cautious look.   
There's no music playing, no TV show blaring obnoxiously. Only the fireplace crackling and Magnus staring into the flames as though trying to find the meaning of life.   
Alec's heart aches.   
Slowly, giving the warlock time to react, he slips in under the blankets and snuggles up to Magnus, who lets him but doesn't react otherwise. 

"I'm sorry, Mags. You don't ever have to tell me if you really don't want to. I love you with my entire heart either way", Alec mumbles softly into the warm juncture between Magnus' neck and shoulders. 

There's no reply but Alec doesn't sense any hostility. Or any of the closed off tension he has learned to associate with Magnus being upset.   
So they sit in quiet until the warmth and comfort lull Alec in and he falls asleep. 

  
He wakes up on his back, curled up on the couch still, with the fireplace slowly dying down.   
Something is purring on his chest and when he carefully lifts the blanket to sneak a look under it he finds a small brown tabby housecat safely asleep. 

**Author's Note:**

> Panthers do not purr which is why I had to go with rumbling. In any case, I thought I'd try out a bit of a different writing style and I do believe it worked out well.  
> For about two seconds I wanted to make Jace shift into a duck but I am not THAT cruel


End file.
